1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to methods of ordering and manufacturing orthopedic components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Orthopedic components are generally manufactured in various sizes and in mass quantities which are then provided to distributors. The distributors fulfill individual sales orders that may be received from a customer, such as a hospital, surgeon, or sales person. While this distribution process is effective, it results in large inventory costs for both the manufacturer and the distributor.
For example, in some cases a particular prosthesis design may be offered in six or seven different sizes to accommodate natural variations inherent in anatomical structures. Each of these implant sizes may in turn be offered in two or three style variations. In addition to the resulting large quantity of available prostheses conforming to one particular design, multiple additional implant designs may also be offered in a similar array of sizes and styles.
Thus, in order for the manufacturer and/or distributor to fulfill orders for any implant design, size and style, large quantities of various orthopedic implants must be maintained in inventory. The manufacturer must maintain large quantities of various implant sizes and related surgical instruments to provide to distributors, and distributors must also stock significant quantities of implants and instruments to readily fulfill orders from the end user.
Additionally, as a result of having a large volume of inventory, when an implant or instrument becomes obsolete, this inventory must be disposed of and results in a total economic loss to the manufacturer and the distributor. Additionally, due to the large volume of inventories that must be manufactured and inventoried in order to fulfill customer orders, product launches may be delayed while an inventory of the product, such as an implant or instrument, is stockpiled.
While known manufacturing and distribution methods are effective, what is needed is an improvement over the foregoing.